A Message from Dr. Bill Schulte

I have a large family with lots of aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, nieces and nephews. We could never get everyone together in the same place at the same time. Not only are everyone’s schedules radically different, but we just did not have one location that could hold everyone. So, needless to say, my holidays truly were a “season” as they were spread out over multiple days and multiple locations. With all the stress of making enough time to visit with everyone; there was also the stress of the holiday shopping season, eating foods that taste good but weren’t so good for me and getting off of my normal workout routine. All this stress has lead to my abs not being as tight as they once were, and my favorite pair of jeans are tighter than they should be. Can you relate?

While at these get togethers, I typically get asked several times about health and health related issues. But this time I turned the tables and I raised the questions! At a holiday party in the middle of December, I had asked questions and offered Dandy-Lyon Bites to a group of colleagues; massage therapists, chiropractors, physical therapists, personal trainers, and former body builders. I wasn’t too surprised by their responses. Most of these people already lead rather healthy lives. They take their vitamins and supplements, indulge in a healthy diet, and exercise regularly and as a result it is more likely that good, healthy food will taste good to them as they are less addicted to sugars and processed food. Yet, they are always interested in trying new products to contribute to their healthier lifestyle. At this party, they were more surprised by the Dandy-Lyon Bites than I was surprised by their reaction. Just about everyone who tried Dandy-Lyon Bites loved them and was surprised at how much more natural and healthier they are than their usual snack and meal replacement food.

At my various family functions, I asked my friends and family about their health and raised the issues of so many cookies, candies, and not-so-healthy snacks at these multiple gatherings. I asked if there were healthier alternatives that still tasted great on the buffet table, would they be interested. Almost all of them were immediately thinking I was going to put twigs, bark, nuts and berries in a bowl. Boy, were they surprised when I offered them Dandy-Lyon Bites. Just about everyone tried some, even the young toddlers that are plentiful in my family. I think I was surprised at their reaction more than they were surprised by the Dandy-Lyon Bites as they didn’t know just how good for you they are when they tasted them. Just about everyone loved them!!

With all of the sweet fruit ingredients like raisins, apricots, and apples, it’s not hard to like Dandy-Lyon Bites. It didn’t matter if they were young or old, a finely tuned athlete or a couch potato, the people that tried Dandy-Lyon Bites all have good things to say. Just from this family gathering, I noted the following responses:

• Connie, a former bodybuilder and current mother of a 3 year old girl, said, “Wow, that’s one of the best snacks I’ve ever had!”
• Tim, a salesman and a father of 5 and a grandfather of 3, said, “Where can I get some? Those are good!”
• Lucie, a mother of twin 5 year old boys, said, “Even my kids like them, and they are picky eaters!”
• Andy, a high school sophomore, said, “Yeah, I’d eat those as a snack.”

How exciting is this? A healthy food that is not only good for you but great tasting? Dandy-Lyon Bites are high in nutrition and provide tons of antioxidants, protein, vitamins, enzymes, essential fats, oils and essential sugars. The last ones may surprise you. You may be thinking, “Aren’t fats and sugars bad for me?” Most are, but our bodies need some fats and sugars. We just need to try and make sure we consume the right kinds.

The good sugars have been grouped together and called “glyconutrients”. Glyconutrients are the foods and nutritional supplements that provide saccharides (sugars) which are essential to the body to maintain proper health, but which are scarce in most diets. Unfortunately, the average American diet only contains two of the eight. So far, eight glyconutrients have been isolated. They are fucose (not to be confused with fructose), glucose (the most common glyconutrient), galactose, mannose, N-acetylglucosamine, N-acetylgalactosamine, N-acetylneuraminic acid and xylose.

Dandy-Lyon Bites contain the following foods which contain the 8 essential sugars.

• Fucose is found in healthy nutritional yeast.
• Galactose is found in apples, apricots, bananas, cranberries, dates, prunes, raspberries, strawberries, echinacea, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, tomatoes, pumpkins, and spinach.
• Glucose is in bananas, cherries, strawberries, aloe vera, garlic, and echinacea.
• Mannose, N-acetylgalactosamine, N-acetylglucosamine, and N-acetylneuraminic acid are found in aloe vera.
• Xylose (not to be confused with Xylitol, a sugar substitute) can be found in raspberries, aloe vera, echinacea, broccoli, spinach, okra, cabbage, and corn.

Most of us think of sugar as nothing more than a fuel needed for energy; but science is finding out that this is an incorrect assumption. Sugars are necessary for far more than energy. Studies have shown these glyconutrients are also involved in boosting the immune system, increasing the body’s resistance to viruses, reducing allergic responses and chronic disease symptoms, accelerating the healing processes of burns and wounds, helping to heal various skin conditions, acting as antioxidant compounds, slowing the aging process and decreasing inflammation.

Another important essential sugar function is to help retain bone density and muscle mass. The body undergoes wear and tear as it ages. Cells and tissues need to be replaced, remodeled, and renewed continually. Exercise helps the body to develop new blood vessels while increasing muscle mass. Certain kinds of tissues adapt to exercise by increasing the size and number of cells. Adaptation, healing, and recovery are all forms of tissue remodeling. Essential sugars play important roles in these processes.

The good fats are in the form of oils such as nut oils and olive oils. These oils are high in Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), also known as Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids. These good fats are necessary in our diets because humans cannot synthesize them on our own. We can only get them from the foods we eat. These good fats are important to our nervous system, especially our brain which is mostly lipids (the bodies’ form of fats and oils). Essential Fatty Acids are also important to our cardiovascular, reproductive and immune systems. A diet deficient in these EFAs has been linked to many serious health issues related to those body systems. Dandy-Lyon Bites contain many all natural ingredients high in EFAs including walnuts, cashew and brazil nuts, pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds, walnut and olive oils, and many green leafy vegetables. Also, because of the no heat manufacturing/blending process of Dandy-Lyon Bites, the EFAs are not altered or destroyed. High heat, light, and oxygen break down Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids making them less beneficial and potentially damaging to the body.

So, with all of the good sugars, fats, proteins, vitamins, living enzymes, and antioxidants, Dandy-Lyon Bites are good for you. And like Connie, Tim, Lucie, and Andy have said, Dandy-Lyon Bites taste good. My massage therapist friends tried them in between their clients and noticed a boost in energy for their next massage. My high school wrestling cousins at them at a tournament to keep their energy up between matches. My colleagues in healthcare snacked on them during the day instead of chips and candy and noticed a big difference in their energy throughout the day. I like them just about anytime I have hunger pangs. Give them a try and tell me when you like to munch a bunch of Dandy-Lyon Bites!

Dr Bill Schulte
Director of Health Information for Lyon Legacy International